Theme Of Honor In The Song Of Roland Honor - 806 Words

Honor; honor is something that all will strive to achieve in life. Honor shapes people and without it, the world would be very contradistinct. But the concept of honor has changed over time. Today, honor is telling the truth, putting others before oneself, being kind, and protecting people no matter the cost. However, in the French epic, The Song of Roland honor is a very incommensurable thing. Honor is idealized by characters like Roland, Ganelon, and Marsilion as bravery to the point of stupidity and ultimately even death. Honor was not defending others, but safeguarding one’s own reputation and legacy. And a multitudinous amount of characters in this epic put honor above all else, and it’s not always smart. One particular character†¦show more content†¦Ganelon’s main force of motivation was implementing revenge on Roland. Though that is somewhat understandable seeing as Roland had previously volunteered Ganelon to take part in an extremely dangerous t ask. A task which Ganelon agreed to take on for the sake of maintaining his honor. However, before he embarked on his journey he threatened Roland three times, which would later allow him to kill Roland in a legal, but more importantly honorable, way. When Ganelon returned from his journey unharmed he took it upon himself to rid the world of Roland. He appointed Roland to the army rear-guard where his recklessness would surely bring his life to an end. But to his consternation, Roland ultimately chose to blow the horn which signaled for help. Eventually, Ganelon’s vengeful spirit got the best of him and Charlemagne realized his plans for Roland and swiftly punished him; for Charlemagne had been far too trusting in previous times. One such person that Charlemagne wrongly trusted was Marsilion, King of Saragossa, and according to The Song of Roland, a hater of God’s name. Marsilion was a man who craved honor so much that he was willing to do anything to get it, even the dishonorable. To the Saracen King, part of honor was being feared. And he had surely accomplished that by doing things such as chopping up foreign messengers and sending their remains back to their people. Marsilion saw glory, honor, and power as a package. A package that wasShow MoreRelatedOral Tradition And The Middle Ages1163 Words   |  5 Pagesof his comitatus, enlists the help of Beowulf to defeat the treacherous Grendel who is terrorizing his kingdom. Beowulf helps Hrothgar because of Hrothgar and his father were once close friends, and Beowulf now honors his father by fighting valiantly for Hrothgar. Having a sense of honor is a key contributor in the creation of the Anglo-Saxon nation because it brought its entire people together in hopes of honoring their traditions. Thus, unifying the individuals of the Anglo-Saxon culture. ChristianityRead MoreReligious Conflicts in The Song of Roland1326 Words   |  5 PagesThe French epic, The Song of Roland, relates the conflicts between Christians and Muslims in 778 A.D. In it, Charlemagne and his men, weary in their seventh year of battle against pagan forces in Spain, have captured every heathen stronghold but the kingdom of Saragossa, held by the Muslim king Marsile. Terrified of the might of Charlemagne’s army, Marsile promises treasures, hostages and his conversion to Christianity if the Franks will go back to France. However, Marsile has no intention of surrenderingRead MoreAn Essay On The Idea Of Right Living2045 Words   |  9 Pagesreligious predisposition, what the society considers to be right or wrong (like the Medieval code of Chivalry) and individual life experiences. However, according to the Songs of Roland and Dante the inferno, Living right means adhering to Christian beliefs and, serving no other god besides Christ. The Muslims in the songs of Roland are considered pagans because they do not adhere to Christian faith. Also, In Dante the inferno, those that did not accept Christ a re in hell. In fact the limbo part ofRead MoreRoland, The, And An Exceptional Warrior1435 Words   |  6 Pagessomeone can bring about the death of Roland, then Charles would lose the right arm of his body, that marvelous army would disappear – never again could Charles gather such forces.. Then peace at last for the Land of Fathers!†(45.596-600) The above passage from the Song of Roland validates the importance of Roland to Charlemagne. After all, Roland was a hero in this epic poem. He was one of Charlemagne’s nephews, his favorite, and an exceptional warrior. Roland understood the importance of the FrankishRead MoreMiddle Ages: The Beginning of a Rebirth in Literature Essay898 Words   |  4 Pagesand knights bowed down and pledged their allegiance to their new king. They all are publicly displaying their affection and gratitude for all the future king will do. During the Middle Ages, Charlemagne’s Code of Chivalry was documented in ‘The Song of Roland.’ This code became a way of life amid the men of the Middle Ages, routinely seen and vowed upon by the kings, nobles, and knights. The original Code of Chivalry according to The Middle Ages â€Å"Knights Code of Chivalry†: â€Å"to fear God and maintainRead MoreEssay Study Guide1115 Words   |  5 Pagescode and different? The Greek heroic code involves fighting bravely and winning honor and it is different because it applies to everyone and has a strong sense of doom. 3. Is there a good reason for Roland not to blow his horn when Oliver asks him to? No. It is an element of pride that he didn’t blow the horn. It was his responsibility to protect them and he didn’t want to look bad. 4. How is The Song of Roland about the clash of two cultures and The Iliad is not? The Iliad is about the GreeksRead More The Greatest Literary Emblem of the Middle Ages Essay2067 Words   |  9 Pagesmajority of population was not educated, and some people could not even read and write, so nobody was able to produce literary works. Consequently, Gale Sigal, literature professor of the University of Oxford, recipient of the NEH Summer Institute, and Honor Doctor of Stanford University (1991), states that due to the fact that the troubadours were the earliest self-consciously group of poets in a European language, creating the first French lyric poetry, they earned their great literary and philosophicalRead MoreMedieval Poetry3509 Words   |  15 Pagesstories about the saints by Jacobus de Voraigne. Not all medieval literature was religious in nature, however. Secular poems and prose works related the deeds of semi-legendary heroes and villains. Examples of this type of work include the French  Song of Roland  and  Beowulf, an early English poem about a heros battles against a series of monsters. Other popular heroes in medieval literature included El Cid, a Spanish hero, and King Arthur, a legendary Welsh character who became the protagonist of a numberRead More The Devastation of the Indies and Movie The Mission Essay2335 Words   |  10 Pagesmap through the New World. Each chapter brings the reader to a new area; parameters of size are given and are unique to each area, but all areas that are discussed bear similarities in terms of the atrocities caused by the Spaniards. Similar in theme, Roland Joffà ©s film, The Mission, portrays an eighteenth century South America in which there are two opposing colonial forces. On one side there are imperialist plunderers, both S paniards and the Portuguese, who want to get rich and are ready and willingRead More Humanities in the Early, High And Late Middle Ages Essay2132 Words   |  9 Pagesto Fiero (2002), â€Å"feudalism involved the exchange of land for military service. In return for the grant of land, a vassal owed his lord a certain number of fighting days (usually forty) per year† (p.76). During the holy wars, these men fought with honor and courage. The knights lived by the code of chivalry. Fiero (2002) defines chivalry as â€Å"courageous in battle, loyal to his lord and fellow warriors, and reverent toward women† (p. 77). While most of the population consisted of serfs, these knights